The Society of Crystallographers in Australia and New Zealand (SCANZ) is a vibrant, inclusive, and diverse community of researchers contributing to the betterment of society. We advocate for and advance the study of the arrangement of the atoms in matter, its causes, its nature, and its consequences. We facilitate education, outreach, and support research in fields as diverse as sustainability, resources, and health.
Studying crystals gives us an exciting glimpse into the world of atoms and molecules. Our scientists use various X-ray, neutron, and electron diffraction and imaging techniques to probe structures with atomic-level precision.
The SCANZ Executive represents laboratories, researchers, and institutes within the region.
Recognising the achievements of leading scientists in Australia and New Zealand.
Organising education and outreach activities to promote the value of crystallography.
Promoting communication through regional conferences and scientific forums.
The society has about 250 members worldwide, mostly in Australia and New Zealand. SCANZ has a formal connection with Australian Academy of Science, via the National Committee for Crystallography (NCCr), and the National Committee for Materials Science and Engineering (NCMSE) or with Royal Society Te Apārangi.
Our members are interested in all aspects of structural sciences, including the methods and the applications of structural information to health, energy, resources, sustainability and the environment. Our members are also interested in developing our fundamental understanding of Nature.
Common topics of our conferences and meetings include:
Membership Our people
R&D investment in Australia is now well below the OECD average. The Australian Academy of Science is leading a campaign to Restore Science and investment into Science. To contribute, visit the Restore Science campaign at https://restorescience.com.au/
Thumbnail: Aerial Shine Dome from May 2015 (photo credit Adi Chopra from the AAS website).
Ward Thomas Robinson passed away on the 9th April 2026 aged 88 years in Christchurch, New Zealand. Many SCANZ members will know Ward as an enthusiastic member SCANZ, having spent two 5 year stints on council, and organising the first SCANZ conference in NZ. Ward was an enthusiastic supporter of The Asian Crystallographic Association (AsCA). A full article about Ward's life, written by Jan Wikaira and Geoff Jameson will appear in an upcoming newsletter. Photo from the IUCr archive showing Ward at Crystal XX in NZ.
Crystal35, the 35th Biennial Conference of the Society of Crystallographers in Australia and New Zealand (SCANZ), was held from 27th to 29th October 2024 in Fremantle, Western Australia.
Read the report recently published in the IUCr Newsletter.
The IUCr Newsletter is the web magazine of the International Union of Crystallography.
Since 1993, the IUCr Newsletter has been published quarterly and distributed to over 13,000 crystallographers worldwide. In August 2018, it was transformed into a dynamic digital platform with a fresh new look. Its aim remains to bring together the crystallographic community.
See the latest IUCr Newsletter.
Polymorphism, the phenomenon where the same chemical entity yields different crystal forms, directly impacts on the behaviour of many industrially relevant chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Read the IUCr Newsletter article by UNSW X-ray crystallographer, Dr Mohan Bhadbhade.
AlphaFold has revolutionalised structural biology. What's next for structural biology? Read the IUCr newsletter editorial by SCANZ members Prof. Charlie Bond and Prof. Edward Baker on the topic.
SCANZ membership includes membership of the community of structural scientists, an online forum for research questions, career development and education, reduced conference registration fees, eligibility for research awards and Maslen conference scholarships, and the latest SCANZ and IUCr newsletters.
Benefits of membership include:
There are membership categories for regular, student and corporate members. For retirees, a life membership can be purchased. Please contact the treasurer (email).
SCANZ membership is on a calendar year basis. Prices shown are currently the same in AUD and NZD. To join, two current members will need to sponsor your application; they are required to be current financial members as well. Please write to the current SCANZ secretary if you do not know any sponsors and we will help provide sponsors for your application.
Login to your account to check your membership status or update your details.
The Lawrence Bragg Medal is awarded for distinguished contributions to science involving X-ray, neutron or electron diffraction and/or imaging.
The award criteria include:
The applicant must have been a continuous member of SCANZ for the previous 10 years.
Application information will be circulated via email to members when the award is open (typically in the lead up to SCANZ Crystal meetings), i.e. approximately biennially.
Candidates must provide their CV, a completed application form and the names and details of two referees.
The referees are asked to provide written references addressing the selection criteria, which are to be e-mailed to secretary@scanz.org by the closing date for applications.
Award Recipients
Illustrative Application Form (from 2022 call)
The Sandy Mathieson Medal is awarded for distinguished contributions to science involving diffraction or imaging by a researcher within 15 years of the award of their PhD.
Career interruptions (including periods of part-time employment) should be detailed in the application form and performance relative to opportunity will form an integral part of the assessment of applications. The applicant must have been a continuous member of SCANZ for the previous 5 years.
The Sandy Mathieson Medal is awarded annually. Application information will be circulated via email to members when the award is open.
Illustrative Application Form
Maslen Scholarships are awarded to selected postgraduate members to help fund attendance and present research at crystallography schools or conferences.
Application details and scholarship conditions will be circulated via email to members when the award is open (typically in the lead up to affiliated national and international conferences, e.g. SCANZ Crystallography school, Crystals meetings, Asian Crystallographic Association meetings, and IUCr Congresses).
Applicants (and their supervisor) must be a current SCANZ member.
Student and ECR members may receive funding for a maximum of one each of a domestic (Crystal) meeting, an overseas meeting (AsCA/IUCr) and a SCANZ crystallography school.
Honorary Life Membership of the Society may be granted to a person pre-eminent in Crystallography and/or one who has rendered conspicuous service to the Society.
There are three steps involved in Honorary Life Membership nomination.
Please see the Constitution, Article III, Section 3 for context around the process. Nomination Form Link (downloads from SCANZ Google Drive)
Maureen Mackay Travel Awards are given to support those with carer responsibilities to attend the national or international meetings of SCANZ or organisations of which SCANZ is a member/affiliate, e.g. AsCA or IUCr.
Application details and conditions will be circulated to members via email when the award is open (to align to the meetings, namely Crystal Conferences, AsCA Conferences or IUCr Congresses).
Christopher Sumby The University of Adelaide
Emily Parker Victoria University of Wellington
Charlie Bond University of Western Australia
David Turner Monash University
Jack Clegg The University of Queensland
Lauren Macreadie University of New South Wales
James Hester The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
Stephanie Gras La Trobe University
Katherine Davies The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute
Megan Maher The University of Melbourne
Kurt Krause The University of Otago
